


Four Seasons

by TrulyIntroverted



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Attempt at Humor, Based on a Vocaloid Song, Bittersweet Ending, But they're in Korea, Fluff and Angst, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, M/M, Magic Revealed, Married Couple, Which is weird but please just go with it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27084607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrulyIntroverted/pseuds/TrulyIntroverted
Summary: The seasons changed, but their love never did.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin & Kim Seungmin, Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin
Comments: 22
Kudos: 30





	1. Winter

It was winter.

The sun had long set, but that didn't stop the snow from falling. It continued to pile up, turning the village into a winter wonderland. The chilly winds made the snowflakes dance until they joined the fluffy pure white piles below. Snowmans the children had built lined the roads, their scarves fluttering and hats teetering, a few succumbing to the winds and joining the snow.

Down the road from the main epicenter of the village, there was a small plot of land with a quaint house. The bare branches of the trees were being weighed down by the blanket of snow that covered them, the continuously falling snowflakes creating a thick layer over the ground, covering any footprints that had been there earlier. One may have thought that the land was unoccupied if it wasn't for the orange light shining inside the house.

A young man with fluffy white hair was tending to the fire in the living room, small beads of sweat forming on his temples. He was so focused on warming the house, he didn't notice the other male walking into the room behind him. Only when he felt a hand shove him on the back towards the fire did he look up and see the black-haired male walking by with a teasing smirk.

"How dare you smile like that when you almost killed me?" the white-haired male snapped. The other man only giggled.

"You know I wouldn't do that, Minnie."

"On purpose? No. Accidentally? Absolutely." The other male gasped dramatically, hand over his heart.

"Do you really think so little of me, Seungmin?!" he shrieked. Seungmin rolled his eyes, used to his husband's antics.

"What do you expect when you almost pushed me into the fire, Hyunjin?"

"I'm sorry!" Hyunjin cried, drawing out the last word as he threw himself at Seungmin's feet. "Please forgive Jinnie." He hugged his legs, looking through his bangs with puppy dog eyes and a pout. Seungmin smiled and ruffled his hair with a breathy laugh.

"Alright alright, I forgive Jinnie. Just get off the floor." Hyunjin's pout immediately melted into a grin, and he hopped up.

"Thank you, Minnie!" he said as he placed a quick peck on Seungmin's lips. Seungmin's smile widened.

"Yeah yeah, just let me tend this fire, okay?"

"Cuddle time!" Hyunjin cheered as he skipped to the window. Seungmin shook his head with a fond smile and returned his attention to the crackling fire. But suddenly, Hyunjin gasped. "Minnie, Minnie! Get over here, quickly!" Seungmin groaned.

"Hyunjin, the fire-"

"Quickly!" With a heavy sigh, Seungmin walked over to where Hyunjin was stood by the window. "Look," Hyunjin said softly, pointing outside to the falling snowflakes. "Just like that night. Do you remember?"

Seungmin chuckled. "Of course I do. I could never forget it."

_It was winter, and night had long fallen._

_The snow outside still fell beautifully, and Hyunjin could sit by the window and admire it all night. But it was cold, the blowing wind seeping through the wooden floorboards of his home. With the wood he had cut from the forest just a few days prior, he began to make a fire. He had planned to set the fire in order to comfortably sit by the window and watch the snow, but that was interrupted when there was a knock at the door._

_Hyunjin paused and looked up, confused. It was already quite late and snowing at that. He didn't expect someone to be out, much less come to him when he hardly knew any people in the village. So with cautious steps, he opened the door. There on his porch was a figure draped in a cloak, hood pulled up and covering their face. Hyunjin couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Was this a beggar? Or a robber?_

_"Hello," he said slowly, clutching the door in case he needed to slam it shut. "How may I help you?"_

_The figure didn't respond, only raising their hands and pulling back the hood. And staring back at him was the most beautiful man Hyunjin had ever laid eyes on. Silky smooth skin, pink lips turned up into the most breathtaking smile that reached his warm chocolate brown eyes. And his hair, bouncy bangs that fell across his forehead, as white as the falling snow. "I'm sorry for intruding," he said in a voice so light and airy, calming like the chirping of birds in the morning. "But I'm a bit lost and could use some help."_

_"Lost?" Hyunjin asked, trying to focus on the stranger's words and not so much his face._

_"Yes." He chuckled sheepishly, his laugh sounding like a melody in Hyunjin's ears. "I was supposed to be in Yellow Wood, but I suppose I took a wrong turn."_

_"Yellow Wood? Why, that's a week long trip in the opposite direction of here!"_

_"What?" The stranger sighed. "Oh dear. I better get going then." He flashed another smile. "Thank you for your help, sir," he said._

_"Wait!" Hyunjin cried, stopping the man in his tracks. "You can't go out in this, much less at night! Come in, please."_

_"I don't want to impose..."_

_"You're not." Hyunjin smiled. "I insist, please. It's no trouble."_

_"Alright," the stranger gave in after another moment of hesitation. Hyunjin stepped to the side and allowed him inside before shutting the door._

_"Take off your cloak and make yourself comfortable in front of the fire. You must be freezing," Hyunjin said._

_"Thank you, sir," the stranger thanked._

_"Just call me Hyunjin, no need to be formal."_

_"Thank you, Hyunjin." The way his name sounded rolling off the stranger's tongue made Hyunjin smile, feeling jittery as he continued stoking the fire._

_"And what is your name, stranger?" he asked._

_"Seungmin."_

_"It's nice to meet you, Seungmin."_

_"The pleasure's all mine, Hyunjin."_

"The snow is as beautiful as when we first met," Hyunjin said. Seungmin nodded in agreement before feeling an arm wrap around his waist and pull him closer to the black-haired male. When he looked up, Hyunjin was smiling fondly at him. " _You_ are still as beautiful as the day we first met."

"Stop it," Seungmin whined, slapping him on the chest as a faint blush overtook his cheeks. Hyunjin only laughed. "You're so cheesy," Seungmin said as he leaned his head against his husband's chest, rubbing his fingers over the white feather that hung from his neck. Hyunjin smiled and kissed the crown of Seungmin's head.

"I know."


	2. Spring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let's pretend i didn't drop off the face of the earth for a hot second and just enjoy this chapter :)

It was spring.

The snow had all melted away, making way for budding flowers and clearer skies. The sun shone brightly down on the village as street vendors began setting up shop again in the marketplace. Children ran around the streets playing tag or chasing the dogs, no longer dressed in thick clothing and fur cloaks. Nature was starting to come alive again, awakening from the deep slumber of winter to embrace the warmth of spring.

Down the road from the main epicenter of the village, there was a small plot of land with a quaint house. The branches were filled with green, branches trembling ever so slightly when a bird landed on it. The grass was filled with small drops of dew, the cool breeze carrying with it the scent of soil. There was no longer an orange light in the window as there was no need for a fire.

But in Hyunjin's eyes, he wouldn't need fire anymore just as long as he had Seungmin's smile.

"It's so beautiful this morning!" Seungmin exclaimed as he opened the door. 

"It is," Hyunjin agreed, but he wasn't looking outside. He was looking at his husband as he stood on the porch with his arms spread wide, eyes closed at the feeling of the sun on his face.

"You aren't even out here," Seungmin said when he turned around and found Hyunjin still in the house. "Come on! Sit outside with me!"

"Hon, I would love to, but I've got work to do." He held up the stack of parchment he was holding to demonstrate.

"Just do it out here!" Seungmin whined, stomping his foot. "Please? I don't want to be out here alone." He resorted to aegyo as a last resort, jutting out his bottom lip and staring at the older with puppy dog eyes.

Hyunjin was quick to cave.

"Alright alright, I'm coming." Seungmin's pout immediately morphed into a smile as he cheered and dragged Hyunjin outside, the ravenette following along without complaint.

"Hurry and finish so we can go on a walk," Seungmin said as he pushed Hyunjin onto the porch. Hyunjin giggled.

"Okay okay, I'll get to work." Nodding in content, Seungmin wandered away from the porch. He kept his gaze up to the sky, where the light blue was streaked over with white wisps of clouds. The morning sun shone directly in his eyes, but still he smiled, simply holding a hand up to shield himself and causing a dark shadow to appear over his face. But the shadow did nothing to dull his glow.

A sudden streak of brown flew by, and Seungmin looked to see a small brown bird perch onto the branch of a tree, digging its beak into its feathery brown and white striped wings. Seungmin smiled and began to walk over, careful not to be too fast and to muffle his footsteps on the grass as to not scare the animal away. The plump little bird looked up as the white-haired male approached, tilting its head curiously as it blinked its large brown eyes at him. Seungmin giggled, the light airy sound causing the bird to perk up and give a small chirp.

"I know, crazy right?" Seungmin said, glancing over himself with a chuckle. "But walking's nice. You take in everything better that way. You should try it sometime."

_CHIRP!_

"Don't knock it till you try it!"

_CHIRP!_

"Now that's just rude."

"Minnie, are you talking to the bird?"

"Her name's Matilda!"

Hyunjin laughed fondly, shaking his head as he returned to his work. "Have fun with Matilda then."

"Thank you. And we're having loads of fun! Right, Matilda?"

_CHIRP!_

"I am too fun!"

_CHIRP!_

"I can actually sing with words. Coherent words, not random noises."

_CHIRP!_

"Watch me." Seungmin cleared his throat.

" _Lavender's blue, dilly dilly  
Lavender's green  
When I am king, dilly dilly  
You shall be queen~_"

Matilda stopped chirping, falling silent at Seungmin's soft voice.

" _Who told you so, dilly dilly  
Who told you so?  
'Twas my own heart, dilly dilly  
That told me so~_"

Seungmin smiled as Matilda hopped further up the branch, continuing his sweet song as he held out a finger for the bird to perch on.

" _Call up your men, dilly dilly  
Send them to work  
Some to the plough, dilly dilly  
Some to the fork~_"

Matilda hopped onto his finger. Seungmin's smile widened.

" _Some to cut hay, dilly dilly  
Some to cut corn  
While you and I, dilly dilly  
Keep ourselves warm~_"

Gently bringing his finger closer as to not disturb the bird, Seungmin gently grazed his hand over Matilda's soft feathers.

" _Lavender's green, dilly dilly  
Lavender's blue  
If you love me, dilly dilly  
I will love you~_"

"You have a beautiful voice."

Seungmin had forgotten Hyunjin was working on the porch (even though he was the one who had adamantly suggested it), but when he turned to look, his husband was staring at him fondly, smiling widely with pure unfiltered love shining in his eyes. A light blush dusted Seungmin's cheeks as he offered Hyunjin a shy smile. "Take that, Matilda," he hissed at the bird.

_CHIRP!_

"You know you loved it." Matilda fluttered her wings, but didn't offer any comment. Seungmin laughed and raised his finger, allowing the small bird to fly off.

And behind him, Hyunjin watched the bird fly away, raising his hand and reaching out towards her retreating figure with a ghost of a smile tracing his lips.

_Logs of firewood stacked onto his back and axe swinging in his hand, Hyunjin crunched through the snowy woods. He had ventured deeper, leading him away from the other villagers also gathering firewood to warm their houses that cold winter. He liked taking the time to appreciate nature, despite the eerie silence and chilly biting winds. It was nice, the bare treetops covered in a layer of sparkling white._

_But a desperate shriek and the clattering of chains broke the quiet sereneness of the woods._

_Hyunjin stopped and frowned, glancing around to try and pinpoint where the noises were coming from. Gripping his axe tighter, he tried to quiet his footsteps as much as he could as he approached..._

_Only for his eyes to widen and axe to fall to the snow as he rushed forward._

_A beautiful crane with white feathers as pure as the snow was flapping around desperately, its foot caught in a trap. The crane shrieked louder when Hyunjin approached and desperately flapped its wings._

_"It's okay! It's okay!" Hyunjin tried to soothe it as he kneeled down. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help." The crane stopped, regarding Hyunjin with its warm brown eyes, reflecting the sparkling snowy landscape around them. Hyunjin smiled. "That's right. It's okay. Now, let's see what's wrong with that foot."_

_The crane watched as Hyunjin examined the trap it had managed to trap itself in. After a moment of examination, Hyunjin looked back at it and smiled. "Nothing too bad! Your foot's just caught in it, luckily not impaled or anything. Here." He reached into the small knapsack tied around his waist and brought out a pocketknife before using it to cut the loop around the crane's foot. "There!" Hyunjin cheerily told the crane. "You're free!" The crane hopped and wiggled its foot, gazing one last time at Hyunjin before flapping its wings and setting off._

_Hyunjin didn't know what made him, but as soon as he saw the crane begin to fly off, he dropped his knife and began to chase after it. Dodging trees and gnarled roots poking out of the Earth, he kept his eyes trained on the retreating crane in the sky. It was only when the bird became too high up for him to chase anymore did he stop, panting and lungs aching from the cold air he had gulped in, but smiling. He reached his hand out towards the retreating white feathers, but what he did not expect was for a streak of white to be falling towards him instead of away, swaying and fluttering down into his outstretched hand gently. His eyes widened when he saw it._

_One of the crane's feathers._


	3. Summer

It was summer.

The flowers had all fully bloomed, the sky perfectly clear and brilliantly blue. The marketplace was in full swing now, summer produce now displayed in tubs full of ice that slowly melted under the beating summer sun. Every so often, a vendor would take off their straw hat and take a long swig of water before dumping some on their head, trying to keep cool. Children ran around in their undergarments, dripping wet hair falling into their laughing faces as they ran around, keeping cool in their own way by chucking buckets of water at each other in a water fight.

Down the road from the main epicenter of the village, there was a small plot of land with a quaint house. The grass was bright and clean cut, small drops of water stubbornly sticking to the blades. The branches of the trees had fully grown with large green leaves that rustled in the cool breeze that blew every so often. The smell of fresh soil carried with it, along with the pungent sweet smell of flowers. The doors and windows were left open to let the air in, bugs flitting around inside for a while before eventually flying back out.

In part due to Seungmin screaming and swatting at them with a stick.

"Are you okay?" Hyunjin asked, rushing from the side of the house when he heard the commotion. Seungmin hopped on his toes and smiled.

"Yup! Just chasing away some intruders."

Hyunjin's eyes widened. "Intruders?"

"Yup. Flies." He pointed towards the little black dots quickly flitting in and out of Hyunjin's vision. "Get out of here!" he screamed when they began to fly close to him, waving his stick around. "ROAR!"

"You idiot!" Hyunjin exclaimed, slapping his husband's chest. "You scared me! I thought something was legitimately wrong!"

"Flies _are_ wrong! They buzz and fly around and they're annoying and they'll eat our food-"

"But they can't kill you like intruders can!" Hyunjin interrupted, yanking away Seungmin's stick and beginning to hit him with it. "Don't! Ever! Do! That! Again!" he cried with each whack. Seungmin yelped and doubled over, covering his head as he tried to move out of the target range.

"Okay okay, I'm sorry I'm sorry!" he cried, running off the porch and into the grass to try and escape Hyunjin's wrath. But Hyunjin stubbornly followed. "Matilda!" Seungmin cried to the brown bird perched on the branch. "Help me!"

_CHIRP!_

"Fuck you to - ah!" Seungmin suddenly tripped over his own feet, falling face-first towards the ground. He felt an arm wrap around his waist and pull him back up against the other's chest. Hyunjin's face was pressed into the crook of the smaller's neck, warm breath tickling his skin. Stick discarded and forgotten to the side, Hyunjin held Seungmin close in the middle of the grass plot. Matilda regarded the two in what seemed to be amusement before flying off.

"You okay?" Hyunjin breathed. Seungmin nodded, not trusting himself to speak. "Good." He stepped away, steadying Seungmin on his feet. "You need to be more carefu-"

Hyunjin suddenly began to cough, face scrunching up as he raised his arm to cover his mouth. Seungmin frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Hyunjin said when he had finished. He cleared his throat, pausing for a minute before swallowing and offering his husband a smile. "I'm fine. Let's just get started on this garden, yeah?" He linked his arm through Seungmin's, causing a soft smile to appear on the white-haired male's face, and the two walked side-by-side to the garden that resided on the side of their house.

It had been Seungmin's idea to start a garden in the summer. Summer was when savings were especially low considering Hyunjin's work didn't employ him during those months and Seungmin couldn't find a job of his own. So what better way to save a little, make a little, and work a little than their own summer garden?

They were definitely nowhere near the sales of the other vendors in the market, but selling their fresh home-grown produce did bring in some money. It kept them from having to spend more on purchasing produce from other sellers. And it was nice spending time together in the garden, working side-by-side on cultivating life in a serene quiet of their own.

And this year's garden, so far, was going great. It wasn't big, just a dirt patch dug up on the left side of their house, shoots of green sprouting from the soft mounds of Earth. Still, Seungmin broke out into a big smile when he saw it, immediately pulling Hyunjin over so they could continue where they left off. And Hyunjin let him, a smile of his own gracing his lips at the sight of his husband's excitement, his eyes sparkling and twinkling like that of a newborn chick.

But the couple found Hyunjin having to stop constantly, rendered breathless by the work that was unusually tiring for him. He would cough so harshly, he'd have to lean against a gardening tool or even his husband to stand upright as he wheezed. It was concerning enough when it only happened a few times, but it was constant enough to a point where Seungmin tried forcing Hyunjin to sit down.

"You shouldn't be pushing your body when it's so obviously unwell," he tried to reason.

"I'm fine, Minnie," Hyunjin continued to insist. "Just feeling a bit tired today."

"And feeling tired means coughing your lungs out?"

"It's fine, just allergies." He coughed again, turning his head and spitting a glob of saliva onto the grass. But he didn't turn back around, and Seungmin could see his shoulders stiffen.

"Jinnie?" he called cautiously. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah!" he said quickly, wiping his mouth with his sleeve before turning around and smiling. "I'm sorry, Minnie, but I'm really tired. I'm gonna go take a nap. Can you finish out here?"

"Of course I can, Jinnie. Go rest." He gently took the rake from Hyunjin's hand and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Feel better for me, okay?"

"Okay." His smile wavered slightly as he stumbled into the house. Seungmin watched his unsteady footing worriedly, that worry only further settling inside him when he looked down and saw a glob of red.

A glob of blood.

Seungmin didn't know much about health, but he knew one thing for sure. Hyunjin wasn't okay. Or at the very least, not as okay as he made himself out to be.

He tried so hard to go about life as normal, but Seungmin could clearly see it wasn't easy on his body. He'd be short of breath more easily, taking frequent breaks and sometimes almost stumbling on his way down. His coughing fits had only persisted, each wheeze sending a fresh wave of worry through Seungmin. And don't even get him started on the crumpled tissues lying in the wastebasket, the white paper dotted with blotches of red.

But still, Hyunjin insisted on helping Seungmin with the garden. He stayed by his side, smothering him with affection and begging for cuddles 24/7. He was still Seungmin's beloved Hwang Hyunjin. Maybe that was why he let him off the hook after pestering Hyunjin for weeks on end to go see a doctor, to which his husband adamantly refused.

"I'm fine," he would say. "No need to waste so much money."

"Jinnie-"

"We have to be wise with spending, Seungmin. And you know how expensive the doctor is. It's just a cough. It'll pass."

And maybe Seungmin was foolishly hoping those words would come true.

So he got used to hearing the coughs and wheezes. He ignored the blood in the grass and wastebaskets. He only focused on the bright smiles and sweet kisses, the warm cuddles and bubbly laughs. He focused on his Hyunjin.

Until one day, they were working in the garden as usual. It was sweltering hot that day, sweat seeping into the thin cloth of Seungmin's shirt. He blew a strand of his snowy hair out of his face as he continued picking the freshly grown cabbage and stacking them in his basket. He heard the rustling of leaves as Hyunjin cut down the wild vines behind him, and he couldn't help but smile as he hummed a little tune to himself. A familiar chirp drew his attention to the branch above him where Matilda was watching them work.

"Hi!" he greeted the bird. "I'm picking cabbage." He held up a leafy green head of cabbage with a grin.

_CHIRP!_

"All you eat is worms. You don't know good food."

CHIRP!

"You can't say worms taste like chicken. You've never even had chicken!"

"Minnie, are you arguing with Matilda again?" Hyunjin asked, voice tired but smile as bright as ever.

"She started it!"

_CHIRP!_

"Yes, you did!"

"Be nice, you two," Hyunjin chided with a laugh before coughing into his sleeve again. Matilda fell silent, large eyes focused on Hyunjin, before turning back to Seungmin.

_CHIRP!_

"Everything's okay," Seungmin reassured the small bird as Hyunjin continued to wheeze behind him.

_CHIRP!_

"I know, but everything's under control. Don't worry." Seungmin stopped talking, Matilda falling silent beside him, as the wheezes turned into gags and retches. "Jinnie?" Seungmin began to turn around, only for his heart to drop into his stomach and his eyes to widen. Hyunjin had collapsed on all fours, clawing at his throat as he continued to cough.

Only this time, chunks of blood were splattering onto the dirt from his mouth.

"Hyunjin!" Seungmin screamed, rushing over to support his husband as he collapsed. The heads of cabbage rolled out of his basket as Matilda flew away.

It was when the sun began to set, painting the sky in grapefruit pinks, lapis blues, and butterscotch yellows that Matilda returned, settling down on the porch next to the white-haired male who was crying his heart out.

_CHIRP!_

"I don't know what to do," Seungmin sobbed, gazing up at the beautiful sky that was too beautiful for reality. His husband - his beautiful, kind, amazing husband - was pale and unconscious in the bedroom, a bucket full of his own blood beside him, and a cure thousands of won away. "We can't afford the medicine," he continued, fat tears rolling down his face. "We can barely afford to buy clothes..."

Matilda hopped to his side and nuzzled her feathered head against his wrist. Seungmin sobbed again as he looked down at the bird, gently rubbing her head with his thumb. "He can die from this, Matilda," he whispered. "I can't let him die. Not after what he did for me..." Matilda blinked up at him. "There's no way selling the produce will make enough money on time. What do I do?"

Matilda hopped onto his lap and ruffled her feathers. Seungmin watched in confusion as she leaned over and plucked out one of her feathers with her own beak, presenting it to Seungmin with a little cock of her head. Seungmin examined the little brown feather resting on his palm.

"You think I'll have enough?"

_CHIRP!_

Seungmin chuckled through his tears, rubbing her head again. "Thank you, Matilda." The bird flew off again as Seungmin jumped up and ran into the house. Hyunjin's mother had given him a loom before she died, entrusting his future wife to use it. Seungmin couldn't call himself Hyunjin's wife.

But he loved Hyunjin with all his heart.

So as he sat in the unused back room with the dusty loom in front of him, he wiped away his tears and pinned Matilda's feather on the wall above it. Her feather would be a reminder.

_This is for Hyunjin..._


	4. Fall

It was fall.

The flowers had all withered away, shriveling from the incoming cold and absent sun. Children chased the chattering crickets through the dulling grass, reluctant to put on their cloaks just yet as they jumped in and through piles of the fallen leaves. The marketplace buzz was beginning to die down as the days shortened and the air grew more frigid, warm tapestries and blankets now being sold in place of chilling water and fresh produce, and fast at that.

Down the road from the main epicenter of the village, there was a small plot of land with a quaint house. The branches had become streaks of sunset oranges and cherry reds, swirling down with the wind to the overgrown grass that was beginning to fade from a lively green to a dirty brown. It was quiet, only one bird settling on the quivering branch, but even they too will soon join the birds and the animals as they settled in for the brewing winter season. There seemed to be no sign of activity from the house, dark except for the dim light of the fire, the first of many for the upcoming cold.

But inside, a man lay coughing and wheezing in his bed while his husband spent every waking moment in the back room on the verge of tears. His once smooth, soft fingertips were beginning to crack and callous over from the hours spent sliding the strings and weaving the threads over and over again. His cheeks were beginning to grow sunken, his once sharp, precise movements becoming shaky and slow. His white hair, once rivaling snow, was beginning to resemble the gray of smoke.

But his husband was losing color in his face, cracked lips always shining with a light sheen of his own blood he continued to cough up. His body was growing skinny and frail, soon unable to even sit up on his own. Despite the hours spent sleeping in bed, dark bags hung below his eyes. But still, whenever Seungmin would enter the room, Hyunjin would crack his eyes open and smile. "Minnie," he would call through a rough, quiet voice, and Seungmin would swallow back tears as he took his husband's hand.

Hyunjin never commented on Seungmin's hands that only continued to grow rougher with time, even when his husband's fingers became wrapped in thick white bandages dotted with splotches of red. He would only smile as far as his cracked lips would let him once their fingers were intertwined, and Seungmin would cuddle into his side with silent tears dripping down his face as he felt Hyunjin's shaky hand slowly run through his hair. "Can you sing for me?" Hyunjin would ask. And Seungmin would sing.

" _Lavender's green, dilly dilly  
Lavender's blue  
If you love me, dilly dilly  
I will love you~_"

The blankets Seungmin had been weaving weren't making much money very fast, shoppers hesitant to buy from a new seller when they had been shopping from the same one for many years. But he was making progress, the jar he had set on the mantle halfway filled. But winter was coming, and he knew the harsh cold weather would only worsen Hyunjin's condition.

_I have to work faster_ , he thought to himself as he played with the white feather on Hyunjin's chest.

So Seungmin continued to weave blankets out of the pure white feathers he plucked, catching droplets of blood from his fingers with a clot of paper so it wouldn't stain the fabric. The bandages completely covered his hand, but he still kept going. Even when he couldn't stand without feeling dizzy, or walk without feeling lightheaded, or move his arms without feeling a sharp pain, he still kept plucking and weaving.

Even when he could no longer sing, he still kept plucking and weaving.

"Minnie..."

"Yes, Jin?" Seungmin asked in a scratched whisper. He couldn't even speak anymore, and it worried Hyunjin.

"Whatever you're doing... you need to stop." His voice was soft, but firm, and when Seungmin looked up and saw his husband looking down at him with sparkling eyes, he saw his beloved Hwang Hyunjin again, before he got sick. The Hwang Hyunjin of the past seasons.

But then he launched into a fit of coughs, blood trickling down his chin, and Seungmin was reminded of the man Hyunjin had become.

"I'll be okay," Seungmin assured him, throwing out the paper he had used to wipe the blood away. He ran his scarred fingers across Hyunjin's cheeks. They felt so unfamiliar underneath his fingertips, so sunken and rough. "I'm doing this to help you."

"But you need to take care of yourself too, Minnie," Hyunjin argued, placing his own hands on top of Seungmin's. "We can't both fall sick."

"I'm not falling sick."

"Then what do you call this?" He gestured to Seungmin, and Seungmin had to bite his words back. He knew what was happening. He knew it was dangerous. He was running low on feathers, too low on feathers.

But he didn't care.

If it was for Hyunjin, he didn't care.

But Hyunjin couldn't know, so he just shook his head and said, "I have to, Hyunjin. I love you."

"I love you too. Which is why I'm telling you to rest." He leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on Seungmin's forehead. "Please, Minnie."

Seungmin pressed their foreheads together, once again holding back tears, and said, "I can't, love. I'm sorry." Hyunjin's hot breath fanned over his face as he sighed.

"Seungmin, _please_."

"I'm sorry."

"Seungmin..."

"I'm sorry..."

And throughout the night, whispered begs and apologies were exchanged as the couple lay in each other's arms. But when the morning came, Seungmin fed Hyunjin some warm broth before retreating into the back room to continue weaving. The jar continued to steadily fill along with the bucket beside Hyunjin's bed.

Winter was approaching fast, the chill winds biting at any exposed skin. The birds had all flown away, leaving the trees like their slowly shedding leaves. All except for one bird, that is, who watched with wide eyes that seemed to twinkle with worry as Seungmin stumbled up towards the front door in the dark after yet another long day of few sales. With a sudden chirp, the bird caught Seungmin's attention.

"Matilda?" he croaked, squinting through the dark to make out the plump little bird.

_CHIRP!_

"What are you doing here?" He shuffled closer to the tree where Matilda was perched on a branch. "You need to leave."

_CHIRP!_

"I'm fine, but Hyunjin isn't, and I need to help him."

_CHIRP!_

"I know, but better me than him."

_CHIRP!_

"You're the one who suggested this in the first place!"

_CHIRP!_

Seungmin sighed. "Neither did I, Matilda. I mean, look at my hair." He held up a lock as gray as storm clouds. Matilda cocked her head to the side and studied it as though it were foreign. Seungmin sighed again and dropped it. "I don't have many feathers left. I'm never going to be the same after this."

Matilda flew down from the branch and landed on Seungmin's shoulder, rubbing her feathered head against his cheek. Seungmin chuckled as a tear rolled down his face.

"Thank you for everything, Matilda," he whispered. "Do me a favor and sing for me now that I can't. Sing for Hyunjin when you come back in spring."

_CHIRP!_

"I'm holding you to that promise." He smiled at the bird, her eyes twinkling with a hint of sorrow as she stared back. She seemed reluctant to leave as she ruffled her wings and hopped a bit in place, but a gentle nudge from Seungmin caused her to begin flapping her wings. "See you when spring comes again, Matilda."

_CHIRP!_

And with a wave from Seungmin and one last flight around him, Matilda soared off into the night sky. Seungmin watched her go before turning around and walking into the house, composing himself out on the porch before stepping in.

"Hyunjin, I'm back," Seungmin announced, popping his head into the bedroom. Hyunjin was laying on his back, playing with the feather, and smiled tiredly when Seungmin entered.

"Hi, sweetheart. You okay?"

"Yeah," Seungmin lied. "You okay?"

"Now that you're here." He chuckled as Seungmin groaned.

"You're such a flirt," he whined as he walked over and took Hyunjin's outstretched hand. Hyunjin merely kissed the back of Seungmin's hand and held it over the feather on his chest.

"I love you," he declared. "More than you will ever know."

"I love you too," Seungmin whispered, kissing his forehead gently before wiping the sweat off his face. "Get some rest, love. You look tired."

"Will you stay with me?" Hyunjin asked. Seungmin smiled.

"Of course, love. Let me just put everything away for the night, huh?"

"Please hurry." Seungmin chuckled as Hyunjin squeezed his hand.

"So impatient. I'll be back soon, love, don't worry." Hyunjin seemed reluctant to let go of his hand, but he did anyway. Seungmin dug through his knapsack and pulled out the wad of money he had earned from sales that day. He went to the jar on the mantle and stuffed it inside before he suddenly stopped.

"No way..."

Energy surged through his tired body as he grabbed the jar off the mantle and plopped in front of the fireplace, using the light to count the money. And he counted again. And once more just to make sure he wasn't being tricked.

"Hyunjin!" Seungmin cried in his scratchy, quiet voice. He stuffed all the money back into the knapsack and ran into the bedroom, slamming into the doorway. "We did it," he said, smiling widely for the first time since Hyunjin got sick. Hyunjin looked over his husband's elated face, the familiar innocent, bubbly sparkle back in his dark eyes. "We got enough money for the medicine."

"Good job, sweetheart," Hyunjin said, his smile having nothing to do with Seungmin's words.

"I'm gonna make a quick dash to the pharmacy, okay?"

"Seungmin."

"Yes, love?"

Hyunjin let out an airy chuckle as he watched Seungmin bounce excitedly in place like a little kid. It'd been a long time since he'd seen this side of his husband, and now that he had...

"I love you," he declared, hand wrapped around the feather. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Seungmin couldn't resist coming in and kissing Hyunjin's slick forehead, the skin cold against his lips. "I'll be back."

And so he pushed his tired body to run; out the house, down to the village, and burst through the pharmacy doors just minutes before closing. He slammed the money on the counter and begged for the owner to hurry. Only once the medicine was grasped tightly in his trembling hands did he slow down just long enough to bow and give thanks before he was running back home and through the bedroom door. "Hyunjin, I'm-!"

He stopped.

The energy that filled his body just moments before now quickly depleted.

His legs shook and could barely hold him up.

The medicine bottle fell from his hand and shattered on the floor.

It was useless now.

There was too much red covering Hyunjin's chin, dripping onto his chest.

The white feather was stained between his fingers that still clutched it.

And his eyes...

"Jinnie... No..."

Seungmin collapsed beside Hyunjin, dull eyes locked onto the ceiling as a stream of blood trickled down the side of his face and dripped onto the mattress. Sobs shook his weak body as he grasped Hyunjin's hand, cold as the chilling winter winds. It wasn't fair. How was this fair?

He was supposed to save Hyunjin like Hyunjin had saved him. Why couldn't he save him?!

"Hyunjin, don't do this..." Seungmin sobbed. "Please don't do this..."

Hyunjin's body was cold, too cold, in Seungmin's grasp as he held him close, the world spinning around him as he cried. It wasn't fair. This wasn't fair. Fall was leaving, and it took Hyunjin with it.

"It's not fair..." Seungmin ran his fingers through Hyunjin's hair, matted with sweat and oil. "It's not fair... You didn't deserve this... _I_ didn't deserve you..."

He ran his hand over Hyunjin's that was still holding the feather. "You gave me all of you, but I never gave you all of me... I lied to you... And now you'll never know just how much I owed you..."

Numbed to the tiredness seeping throughout his bones, to the tears continuously streaming down his cheeks, to the slowed but painful beating of his heart, Seungmin reached into his sleeve and plucked out the last feather. The same kind feather that hung around Hyunjin's neck since the day they met.

The same kind of feather that fluttered into Hyunjin's hand the day he saved Seungmin's life.

Seungmin collapsed beside his husband, the world becoming blurry and dark. He forced his arm, heavy and shaking, up to drape over Hyunjin's chest, the feather clutched in his hand aligning with the feather clutched in Hyunjin's.

"Thank you for saving me that winter's day, my love."

And the seasons started again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and so the story has ended. take care of yourselves <3


End file.
